Now also with recomendations for you who want to learn Lao!
A.U.A. Language Center Thai Course, Book 1 (Language Texts) by J. Marvin Brown This book is the first in a 6 book set that starts from very basic Thai right through to upper
intermmediate/experienced. The major reasons that make this set of books the best I've seen and
used are as follows: 1, very well structured logical progression. 2, Use of IPA phonetics 3, Use of
Thai script from page one 4, Use of useful language (you can actually use it!) 5, Use of colloquial
Thai (book 4 'Small Talk') 6, Use of many styles of hand written Thai and not only typed script.
(very useful!)
If you are looking for a book on Thai language this is definitely a book I would recommend.
A Rough Guide Phrasebook (Rough Guide Phrase Book) This book is terrific!! It has English-thai, and Thai-english sections, and shows Thai with consistant
rominazation, plus thai script.
Now, the best part of the book is the intro (before the dictionary begins) to Thai language. It gives all
the basic rules (summed up nicer than many Thai language books!) Rules for different kinds of
questions and everything. Even a section on profanity (so you'll know when people are upset:) And
all examples give thai script, roman-thai (including tone marks), and english.
I highly recommend this book to anyone even remotely interesed in the Thai Languages. Besides, it's
got a GREAT price :)
BBC Phrase Book: Thai by Sanya Bunag One of the "BBC Phrase Book" series designed for use by holidaymakers and business travellers.
This book is arranged by topic, with key words and phrases, a pronunciation guide and a dictionary
of approximately 4000 Thai words. Order it from instead.
Berlitz Thai Phrase Book & Dictionary (Quick Reference System) This phrase book contains a color-coded system that makes words and phrases
easy to find. Some of the categories include basic expressions, arrivals and departures, hotels, dining
out, sightseeing, shopping, banks, mail, medical care, reference, grammar, dictionary, as well as
handy travel information, tips, and regional maps for ease-of-use. This book is a small enough size to carry anywhere and is more manageable than many other books, especially
for the short term visitors.Order it from instead.
The Bua Luang Compact What-You-See-Is-What-You-Say English-Thai Dictionary¨by Eric Allyn, Samorn Chaiyana A visit to Thailand is a wonderful experience for almost all travellers, but to really experience the
Thais you need to unlock at least a little bit of their language. Eric Allyn's prase book and dictionary
(using the "what-you-see-is- what-you-say" transliteration system) is the easiest and most effective of
the dozens which I have used and reviewed. Both should be bought and studied before any trip
there, and are very helpful while in-country. The handbook is especially helpful in showing the
interconnection of language and culture. It is obvious that Allyn has great love for Thais and Thailand,
and this makes reading and using his books even more enjoyable.
Colloquial Thai; A Complete Language Course/With Two Audio CDs by John Moore/Saowalak Rodchue Overall, I thought the book was a good text for someone just attempting to learn Thai. What
becomes evident later is that it in itself is insufficient to provide a complete guide. There are
numerous spelling/grammatical errors that one can find as you progress through the course. In
several instances when checking answers to the exercises provided, you'll find the answers do not
completely match the question. What I discovered after a period of time is that this book will give
you a good reference but you need an additional text or two that combines good transliteration with
a cross referenced dictionary. Order it from the instead.
Conversational Thai in 7 Days : Break the Language Barrier the Quick and Easy Way! by Somsong Buasai, David Smyth This book requires that you spend the first few hours listening to the audio casette to get the feel and
the rythm for the language. It is at first difficult to read the romanized words and repeat the sounds
accurately but with practise I think I was on the right track. The audio casette does not follow the
book in the exact sequence as it is written so at times when you think you are following along
comfortably you will be taken to a different phrase or word section that may cause you to put the
book down and just listen again. The author claims this is to help keep you from relying on the book.
The phrases are useful and there is a small Thai/Engilsh dictionary towards the back. I would prefer
a book that was easier to follow along with the audio casette. Order it from the instead.
Eyewitness Travel Guide Phrase Books: Thai Phrase Book DK Publishing, Inc Staff Dk Publishing Compiled by experts, these handy companions to the Eyewitness Travel Guides give both tourists
and business travelers the essential phrases to get around in a foreign land. Supplemented by an
extensive menu section and mini-dictionary, these guides also contain replies to typical questions, as
well as the signs and instructions travelers might see or hear in a foreign country. Organized by
subject: everyday phrases, public transportation, shopping, hotels. Uses a unique system of imitated
pronunciation.
Order it from instead.
Making Out in Thai by John Clewley Usefull words in Thai. One thing ticked me off: It doesn't
have tone marks.
When you miss the tones of Thai words - you'll never get a chance to pronounce the words in the right way. Order it from instead.
The Oxford-Duden Pictorial Thai & English Dictionary "A picture says a thousand words". . . This book has thousands of pictures! This book is a handy
reference for English people who are studying the Thai language or vice versa.
I believe it is a bit unwieldy for the casual traveller/visitor.
Robertson's Practical English-Thai Dictionary by Richard G. Robertson Though the content of this dictionary is good...Robertson's dictionary lacks
depth and cross-referencing. If you desire a quick and easy guide to Thai...do not purchase this
book. "Conversational Thai in 7 days" provides the same material and is easier to use plus it includes
some basic sentence structure. Another source that is just a good is the "Lonely Planet Thai
Phrasebook"...not only does it provide grammar and vocabulary but it is small and covers a wide
range of topics for such a small volume. Order it from instead.
Spoken Thai by Mary R. Haas, Heng R. Subhanka The two books and the six audio cassettes are essential for you who are going to live in Thailand and for those who wants to work as interpreters.
Teach Yourself Thai: Cassette by David Smyth / Audio Cassette Order it from the .
Thai a Complete Course for Beginners (Teach Yourself Series) by David Smyth I like this course because it is one of the few Thai language courses that also teach you the script.
When in doubt about how to pronounce something, I can always check the spelling in Thai. They use
Thai script along with romanized spelling throughout the entire book. The romanized spelling has all
the proper tone marks, which is very important since one won't be able to read all of the words in
Thai until at the end of the course. The romanized script is similar to what can be found in some
dictionaries, which is obviously useful too.
This course is significantly better than "Colloquial Thai", in all these regards.
On the downside, the vocabulary list at the end of the book could be more comprehensive.
Thai-English Dictionary by George Bradley McFarland If you already have Mary R Haas' dictionary I'll recommend this one if you're going to buy a second one. The thing I don't like about it is McFarland's way to do transcription from Thai. But it is essential for the serious student to have both McFarland and Haas. One is not enough, even
when backed up by the large Thai-Thai dictionaries. It is also worth remembering that these two
excellent dictionaries are now quite old - don't expect modern technical vocabulary. Order it from instead.
Thai-English/English-Thai Dictionary and Phrasebook (Dictionary and Phrasebooks) by James Higbie After reading through this phrasebook, I've but two main observations. First is the positive. The tone
markers are incredibly easy to understand. My only
complaint is that there is absolutely no Thai script in the book at all. So if you're having trouble
pronouncing the word, your Thai friend/companion/etc. cannot simply read the Thai script and help
you out. Other than that this is a nice phrasebook which has come in handy when I've used it in
conjunction with other Thai language-learning materials.
Thai-English Student's Dictionary by Mary R Haas If you're only going to buy one Thai-English dictionary then this is the one you'll have to get. It's simply the best - better than all the rest (there are some terrible
ones out there!). Order it from instead.
Thai for Beginners by Benjawan Poomsan Becker This book starts out at the beginning and goes through the language rather quickly building your vocabulary and getting simple phrases down. It's not really designed to just learn a few phrases that you might use on a short vacation. It's for people that are serious about learning Thai. I don't mean to say that it's a difficult book. It's not. The phrases you learn are short and simple but well thought out so you can learn to make other sentences by substituting words. There's no sense in learning at the beginning long and almost useless sentences that you don't know how to change under different circumstances. For true beginners to Thai, the accompanying tapes are also useful. Order it from instead.
BENJAWAN POOMSAN BECKER'S BOOKS ARE THE ONES I PREFER! THERE ARE MANY VERY GOOD BOOKS TO CHOOSE FROM FOR YOU WHO WANT TO LEARN THAI BUT MY OPINION IS THAT BECKER'S BOOKS ARE BETTER THAN ALL OTHERS. BOTH FOR BEGINNERS AND FOR THOSE WHO WANT TO IMPROVE THEIR THAI.
Thai for Beginners Tape Set by Benjawan Poomsan Becker Order it from instead.
Thai for Intermediate Learners by Benjawan Poomsan Becker This book is designed to increase your vocabulary in Thai. It assumes you already know how to speak and read Thai. It has sections on Thai province names, holidays, street names in Bangkok, English words borrowed in Thai, Thai food, Thai nicknames and common first names, etc. To learn Thai it is best to have a person who speaks Thai help you. If that is not possible then you should order the tapes that are made for the book. Order it from instead.
Thai for Intermediate Learners Tape Set by Benjawan Poomsan Becker There isn't really much to say about the tapes themselves but I wanted to put my review here for people that weren't sure about buying the tapes without hearing them first. Well, there's not much to say. The tapes follow the book, first vocabulary then sentences, then a conversation just as in the book. And like the book, these tapes have a lot of information in a short amount of time. You'll need to listen and read along many times if you're not already familiar with what's being said. If you already have the book then you really should get the tapes, if you are trying to decide on getting the book and tapes or one of the other I would suggest this: If you only want to learn to speak and don't need to see it written on paper then you can get by with only the tapes because it has the English first, then the Thai - except for the end of each lesson when you get into the sentences and conversations. If you want to learn to read then get the book too. Both are good alone but they are even better together. Order it from instead.
Thai for Advanced Readers by Benjawan Poomsan Becker This for Advanced Readers...
- introduces you to various writing styles.
- offers a bridge to advanced reading and writing of the Thai language.
- challenges students to read Thai.
- is compact and informative.
- helps students expand their Thai vocabulary in a systematic way.
- can be for self-study and classroom use. Order it from instead.
Thai for Lovers by Nit, Jack Ajee This book is indispensible for anyone with a Thai girlfriend/boyfriend or spouse and for anyone who
wishes to explore the nightlife in Thailand. The book is well organized and unlike a similar book
called "Making out in Thai" it contains tone markers AND Thai script for each word/phrase; which is
critical if you really want to learn. I don't mean to sound like a commercial but this is fun too. It gives you fun things to say to
shock and impress your Thai friends. It also has a page on bad words that I showed to my wife. She
told me to NEVER say those words to her or any Thai again. HA!
Thai System of Writing by Mary R. Haas This is a technical book, detailing all the complex rules of writing Thai. For beginners who have
not studied linguistics, the methodology used may be inaccessible. For those who already know
some Thai, and would like to improve their ability to spell, and to determine tones of unknown
words while reading, this is a very good resource. Order it from the instead.
